What's happening in 2021?

2021 brings us into a new year of uncertainties, opportunities, and excitement. We have made many changes since April of 2020 to ensure the safety of students, visitors, and staff. The restaurant has undergone changes to adapt to the changing requirements of the industry and is now opening full time for business. There is a new flight instructor on board with Bartow Flying Service that many of you have the pleasure of knowing, Ray Collins, and he is available to train students in multi engine complex aircraft.

Looking ahead:

  • Cotton 3-ply masks will continue to be available for purchase from the front desk and multiple hand sanitizer stations will continue to be available.

  • New merchandise and restocks of favorites including “Chocks Out” t-shirts will be available for purchase in the near future.

  • The airport will be a new member of Bartow’s Main Street - events will be posted on social media and this page.

Email us at info@bartow-airport.com if you have any questions or suggestions for the airport and flight school!

COVID-19 UPDATE 4/3/2020

COVID-19 UPDATE

The Bartow Airport Authority (BAA) remains committed to maintaining the safety, health and well-being of employees, tenants, students, and passengers at the Bartow Executive Airport and Bartow Flying Service.

Effective Friday April 3rd, 2020 until the final expiration of the Florida Governor’s Executive Order 20-91:

• All essential businesses on airport per U.S. Department of Homeland Security guidelines as defined by State of Florida Executive Order Number 20-91 remain open for operation

• Airport remains open for normal operations

• Air Traffic Control Tower remains open for normal operations • All fueling and handling services remain fully operational

• Airport Office and FBO remain open with the following limitations:

o Terminal Building is closed to public access

o Terminal access is restricted to arriving and departing flight crews and passengers only

o Airport Administration access is by appointment only

• Flight school operations are suspended

• Ground instruction is authorized via telephone and/or video chat solely at the discretion of the CFI

The following are highlights of steps we are taking to minimize exposure possibilities for passengers, pilots, and employees:

Cleaning and Preventative Services

• Installation of hand sanitizer stations throughout the airport, as a response to the cold and flu season.

• Increased frequency of cleaning at all high touch point areas, including handrails, curbside, seating areas, tables, restrooms, and breakroom areas.

• Increased frequency in cleaning of the airport vehicles, to include disinfecting of all passenger areas and driver surfaces. Employee Communication

• BOW managers have reached out to airport employees to ensure a safe, healthy workplace environment. The following messages have been shared with them.

• Stay home and seek medical attention if you are sick.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after using the restroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.

• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.

• Avoid contact with sick people.

Request for Professional Planning Services (Master Plan & ALP)

The Bartow Airport Authority is seeking a planning firm capable of providing airport planning for the purpose of developing a comprehensive master plan and Airport Layout Plan to include Airport data collection and facility inventories; Aeronautical activity forecasts and demand/capacity analyses; Demand/Capacity analysis and Facility requirements; Terminal Area Plan; Airport noise study; Compatible land use plan; GIS data collection. The project will be funded through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

Blaise Kessler - 100th Teenage Private Pilot

Pilots of all ages have been training at the Bartow Airport since WWII. However, a fairly new scholarship program that is known as the James C. Ray fund marked it’s 100th teenager completing their private pilot’s license. This young man is Blaise Kessler who Jeff Saly, a Bartow Flying Service flight instructor, had the honor to teach. We would like to congratulate Blaise and wish him the best in his aviation future. A link to the article can be found below. 

Christmas at Bartow

Christmas will soon be upon us and we would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas from all of us at the airport. We would like to remind everyone that we will be open through Christmas Eve but will be closed for Christmas Day.

Gift certificates for Discovery Flights are available at the front desk.

Sneak peak at new 2020 merchandise below!

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REQUEST FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES

Please follow the link below to view the Request for Professional Engineering Services. Interested firms are requested to indicate their interest in this project by submitting four (4) copies of a Letter of Interest to Mr. John Helms, Executive Director, Bartow Airport Authority, Post Office Box 650, Bartow, Florida 33831-0650, on or before 2:00 p.m. (local time), October 17, 2019. 

National Aviation Day

Today is National Aviation Day which is also Orville Wright's birthday!

Here are 5 way to celebrate:

1) GO FLY - If you are blessed to have a pilot's license, what are you doing still reading this? Get up there!

2) Visit an aviation museum - Located in the terminal, the Bartow Airbase History Museum is open 7 days a week during normal business hours. Come check it out!

3) Teach a child about airplanes - Children may not be familiar with how aviation developed from Orville and Wilbur to supersonic jets and drones. And kids love airplanes! What better day to teach them about airplanes and the industry? Visit our customer service desk to inquire about Discovery Flights for kids.

4) Thank an aviation industry employee - Pilots, mechanics, dispatchers, flight instructors, airport managers, line guys, baggage handlers, air traffic controllers and engineers all have an equally important role in making the aviation industry what it is. Thank someone who makes aviation possible on this day.

5) Tell us about your first flight - Tell us about the first time you took to the air. Where were you traveling? Why? Do you remember what kind of airplane it was? Were you thrilled, or a little scared? Let us know!

FAA Safety Seminar at the Bartow Executive Airport July 13th

Coexisting in a Crowded Non Tower Airport with Fixed Wing Gyroplanes Helicopters Powered Parachutes

This two-hour presentation's primary objective is to emphasize safety during traffic patterns, communications phraseology, regulatory requirements, recommended operational procedures, and communications used by pilots at an airport without a control tower, or an airport with a control tower that operates only part time.

For more information and to register please click here.

First Responders and Airport Employee Week

Monday May 6th - Friday May 10th

Runways at Bartow will be hosting an appreciation week for all first responders and all employees located on the Bartow Executive Airport.

  • First Responders receive 50% off an entre

  • Employees of all businesses on the Airport to include industrial park and airside receive 25% off an entre

  • Enter to win 5 free lunches

Lunch Specials:

  • Runways Grilled Cheese

  • Prime Rib Sliders

  • Patty Melt

Breaking The Accident Chain

We have all experienced some level of nervousness while flying. When one becomes nervous, mistakes are more likely to occur and they can culminate into a dire situation within the cockpit. The FAASTeam will be holding a seminar at the Bartow Executive Airport on Saturday, May 11th from 10am - 12pm to discuss these issues. We will define the accident chain then analyze all of the situations a flight crew must consider in any flight from preflight preparation through mission completion.

Registration will begin Monday, April 22nd through https://www.faasafety.gov/

Celebration of SUN n FUN @ Bartow Executive

If you haven’t dined on the patio of Runways at Bartow while enjoying live music or testing out your knowledge in one of the trivia contests, you’re missing out on great times. Next Friday, April 5th, Runways at Bartow will be hosting a SUN n FUN party starting at 5 p.m with live music starting at 7 p.m. BBQ Ribs & Fried Chicken will be the special of the evening featuring the “Co-Pilot Buffet” that boasts a wide variety of starters, salads, and sweets.

Join the competition in the trivia contests taking place at 7, 8, and 9 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for each contest winner. Kids will love the airplane paper contest, last contest winner won a discovery flight with an instructor from Bartow Flying Service!

Old home week at Bartow airport as Warbirds help celebrate the opening of the New Runway Café.

By KT Budde-Jones

 

Bartow airport has a long aviation history dating back to when it was a training base in both WWII and Korea.  It was one hundreds military airfields built to support the US Army Air Force’s efforts during WWII.  Originally built as a Municipal airport in 1941, it was taken over by the US government and developed into a training field as Bartow AAF to support training in Stearmans, T-6 Texans and later in P-51 Mustangs.  Florida was one of the centers for aviation training in the US during the war due to its great flying weather, flat and open undeveloped areas and its proximity to both the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean that needed to be patrolled for German U-Boats.  At the start of the war there were only 6 military airfields; Pensacola, Miami, Jacksonville, Tyndall, Eglin and MacDill by the end of the war there were 227.

 

Even today, Bartow (KBOW) is still used for training in WWII aircraft.  Stallion 51 Flight Operations, based at the Kissimmee Gateway Airport, another WWII training field, uses the original runways to train students in the art of landing the quintessential fighter of WWII, the P-51 Mustang.  It is not unusual to see Stallion 51’s blue nosed Mustang “Crazy Horse’ or “Crazy Horse 2” landing and taking off from Bartow as well as their yellow T-6 Texan just as these aircraft did decades ago.  A great tradition that carries on and was part of Saturday’s ribbon cutting ceremony. 

 

Visitors to the airport and the new restaurant that over looks the runway participated in the ceremonial ribbon cutting on Saturday as city officials, airport staff and supportive guests looked on.  Also in attendance were the pilots of the half a dozen WWII planes that came in to help celebrate the occasional and partake in the delicious food served that day.

 

Two Mustang, three T-6 Texans and a Stearman were on the ramp to represent the WWII training heritage of Bartow.  As each of these vintage aircraft flew overhead ready to land, the sight and sounds were reminiscent of days gone by when hundreds of Mustangs and Texans trained boys to be pilots in these great aircraft. 

Stallion 51 Corp. is keeping Bartow’s training tradition alive on a regular basis, using KBOW for landing and take off practice in their dual cockpit - dual control Mustangs and Texan. Runway Café is perfectly situated for guest to watch the aviation action of the day and catch a glimpse of aviation history as it flies in for another lesson in KBOW’s aviation classroom.

Sun n Fun Information

Sun N Fun is less than two weeks away and all area airports are preparing for visitors. Here at Bartow Executive there will be aircraft parking for visitors, rental cars, and pilot services throughout the event. Runways at Bartow, our new restaurant, will be open during regular hours. For more information about the event or for information on reservations please contact us.

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